Zijin begins lithium concentrate exports from DRC to China

Chinese mining giant Zijin has commenced exports of lithium concentrate from its Manono project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to five sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.

"Exports began in June as scheduled," said a source with direct knowledge of the operation. "All shipments are being sent to China."

The move marks the Democratic Republic of Congo's first-ever lithium exports, further entrenching China's hold over the country's strategic mineral sector-where rivals CMOC and Huayou Cobalt are already dominant players.

The Manono deposit, recognized as one of the world's largest undeveloped hard-rock lithium reserves, has been mired in controversy since Congo revoked Australian miner AVZ Minerals' permit and reassigned part of the project to Manono Lithium.

The project vehicle is owned 54.9% by Zijin, with state-owned Cominiere holding 35.1% and the Congolese government retaining 10%.

In a notice issued on July 9, the company disclosed that Manono's processing plant had begun operations in May 2026-one month ahead of schedule-and that smelting and downstream facilities are slated to come online by December, accelerating the overall project ramp-up.

Zijin has set a 2026 production target of 30,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent from Manono. The operation is designed to process 5 million tons of ore per year and yield roughly 1 million tons of spodumene concentrate, the company added.